Composite materials that include silicon carbide (SiC) and titanium diboride (TiB2) are known in the art and have been used for various applications including, for example, as armor material. These materials are referred to herein as “SiC/TiB2 composite materials.” SiC/TiB2 composite materials exhibit certain physical properties (e.g., hardness) that make them attractive for use as armor material for ballistic protection, and have a low density relative to other known armor materials such as, for example, depleted uranium and steel. As armor materials are often employed on armored vehicles, a reduction in the density and, hence, the overall weight of the armor material will improve the mobility and fuel economy of such armored vehicles.
Various methods of forming SiC/TiB2 composite materials are known in the art. For example, it is known that particles of silicon carbide and particles of titanium diboride may be mixed together to form a powder mixture. The powder mixture may be used to form a green body, and the green body may be sintered to a final density to form a body comprising a SiC/TiB2 ceramic composite material. The sintering process is typically conducted while applying pressure to the body being sintered (e.g., in a hot pressing process) to obtain a SiC/TiB2 ceramic composite material that exhibits desirable physical properties and ballistic performance.